In more recent times, May 20 is also a popular day for showing off your love. In Mandarin, the pronunciation for “five two zero” is similar to “I love you”. Couples take this as an opportune time to show off their love for their partners on social media or have it as their wedding dates.
The real Chinese Valentine's Day is celebrated in August during the Qixi Festival. This festival celebrates the legendary tale of “The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl”, two star-crossed lovers who were banished to opposite sides of a heavenly river, only reuniting once a year in a bridge formed by a flock of magpies.
During the Qixi Festival, single women often pray to receive the talents of a good spouse and a loving husband. Newlyweds also worship the legendary couple and wish for a happy marriage.
Auspicious food can’t be left out of the festivities! Some popular Qixi Festival food is Qiaoguo pastry made from flour, sugar, sesame, and honey, dumplings, sprouts noodles, glutinous rice sticks, fried bean tea, and more foods that symbolize ingenuity, sweet love, and happy marriage.